SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
If you blurred your vision, you would see mostly pink overtaking the floor of the Great Hall of the legislative assembly Wednesday.

Teaya Crossman, 8, plays guitar while Hannah Lafferty, 6, and Rylan Vital, 6, sing with the choir. All students in the photo are with Weledeh Catholic School and were at the legislative assembly along with students from six other schools for anti-bullying day Wednesday. - Erin Steele/NNSL photo

Focus that view and you may see cultural diversity, united. At least that was the perception from Sandra Lockhart, area council vice-president with Public Service Alliance of Canada, during an anti-bullying event held on Pink Shirt Day – a nationally recognized day to ending bullying.

“It reminds me when I go out on the land and see all the plants and animals living in harmony. That's what we're trying to achieve in the NWT,” said Lockhart to the students and teachers from the six different schools in attendance.

“Cultural diversity is really important because racism is something that has hurt society for many, many generations. And when you have youth come together like this and say, 'We're not going to tolerate bullying, we know what bullying is,' they will put an end to the racism aspect of it,” Lockhart told Yellowknifer following the official event.

She says bringing the anti-bullying message to the forefront of society helps quash “fear-based” actions which lead people to becoming bullies themselves.

“Hurt people hurt people,” she said.

The hour-long gathering included musical performances from students, a couple short speeches from youth and various adults, including Jackson Lafferty, minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

“It's time to bring bullying out of the shadows of cyberspace and into the light,” said Lafferty, giving nod to a type of bullying synonymous with society's greater dependency on technology.

Wendy Wile, a counsellor with Mildred Hall School, spoke to the importance of students taking on leadership roles on the path to stop bullying, and noted her school gave the anti-bullying message a positive spin.

“It's cool to be kind day,” she said of the unofficial re-naming.

Thirteen-year-old Seth Miersc from Kaw Tay Whee School took on that leadership role by sharing his personal story in front of the large group.

When he was 10 or 11, Miersc said he was bullied by a boy who was about 17 years old, which culminated into a confrontation that left Miersc on the ground wheezing.

“I just went to his house to tell him to stop and he took me to his backyard and started punching me. I tried to fight back but I couldn't,” Miersc told Yellowknifer after the presentation.

“To this day I just wish I could have done something about it ... It made me a lot stronger emotionally and physically,” said Miersc.

Lockhart commended Miersc for sharing his story, alluding to the idea that his bravery has implications beyond the schoolyard.

“That young man who spoke about what it was like to be bullied – that takes a lot of courage. As adults we call it whistle-blowing and we have to enshrine it in law to feel safe to do because we feel threatened with losing our security, which is our employment,” Lockhart told Yellowknifer.

“I think it's really important these kids learn that they have an inherent right to speak for themselves.”